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Five Earths - Timeline (2013 June)
This is the timeline of the Five Earths, All in a Row setting of 2013 June. (1941 on Earth-2, 1879 on Earth-3, 1556 on Earth-4, and 515 CE/1268 AUC on Earth-5) <-2013 May; 2013 July-> 2013 June 1 Dp-Japan begins stepping down attacks on Allied forces and territory, and does not initiate new ones. The Emperor announces that 'stable' territories conquered by Dp-Japan have a future as Dominions within the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, should the peoples of those territories wish it, and demonstrate the ability to form responsible governments. Also, Japanese forces are directly ordered by the Emperor to cease activities that the West would define as 'war crimes'. On Steampunk Earth (Earth Three), the new British Broadcasting Corporation opens radio stations in a dozen cities throughout the UK, starting with London. June 3 On Inp-Earth, the first four SB-52Is come in, amazingly, ahead of schedule, and less than a thousand dollars over budget. The bombers possess a limited, partially-psychokinetic VTOL system, only useable in less than 30% of Earth's gravity (though it should nicely supplement the wings in the thin Martian atmosphere). A larger version of the system is planned to be installed on the OV-100As. Two probes equipped with this system (Lucian 1 and 2, named for Lucian of Samosata) are launched to the Moon. In Africa, the Third Congo War begins, now with empowered support and combatants. In Dp-Germany, Rudolph Hess dies while trying to flee to Britain. June 5 A new Soyuz ACTS (Advanced Crew Transportation System) capsule, using an adaptation of the Starfighter upgrade, is launched from Inp-Russia, on a course for the moon. Scientists at a Starship Enterprises R&D facility in Sacramento, CA, attempting to reverse-engineer the pair of spontaneously-enchanted TOS-style communicators owned by one of them, discover how the transtator works: it converts electrical energy into psychic energy (& vice-versa) more efficiently than unspecialized technofetishes. The Aspect of the psychic energy varies, mostly being Technology, or an Aspect relating to Electricity (Air, Lightning, Fire, et cetra), though others are possible. A particularly sensitive transtator can serve to detect active psi use in an area - how wide an area depends on how much control the psyker has, to avoid 'leaking' excess energy. Lucian 1 lands on the Moon, and takes off again. June 6 The Soyuz ACTS capsule reaches Lunar orbit, and lands. Cosmonaut Yelena Olegovna Serova is first Russian and first woman to walk on the Moon. Twelve C-130 variants (two AC-130, four MC-130, six C-130) and four C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft are sent to LockMart for the Starfighter upgrade. The SC-130 vehicles, which are already predicted to take longer due to engineering concerns over replacing the turboprop engines with fusion-impulse rockets, are designated 'Space Galleon' (basic SC-130), 'Space Ghost' (SAC-130), and 'Star Wraith' (first SMC-130 model). Lucian 2 lands on the Moon, takes several rock and dust samples, and takes off again. June 7 Inp-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is killed, apparently by a djinn. J. K. Rowling and Michael Gambon announce the upcoming publication of a book called 'Occlumency: Defending the Mind', the first chapter of which is available online. GURPS players reading the chapter liken it to the Mind Block skill: a completely mundane method of protecting the mind from being read. Lucian 1 lands at Vandenberg SFB. On Dp-Earth, Captain America crashes on an island near Themiscyra, and inspires Diana, Princess of the Amazons, to come to Man's World. June 8 The Soyuz ACTS capsule lifts off from the moon, carrying a few interesting rocks. Lucian 2 lands at Johnson Space Center. DARPA begins artificial coma tests with several volunteers, the intention being to develop a means to carry larger numbers of soldiers in limited space, by keeping them comatose, and waking them at their destination - a cheap and primitive alternative to not-yet-reliable suspended animation techniques. These first tests will take places entirely on Inp-Earth, and later tests will involve taking the comatose volunteers into orbit, and reviving them back on Inp-Earth. On Dp-Earth, residents of the town of Frostproof, Florida are startled when it begins to, quite literally, rain cats and dogs (along with a lot of water), out of a clear, blue sky. Even more surprisingly, none of the animals are injured - even those landing on the street, rather than one of the lakes surrounding the town - though most of them are rather agitated. June 9 A large particle spray is detected on a vector from Dp-Earth. The Soyuz ACTS alters its orbit, waiting for orders, as scientists and military personnel attempt to narrow down the location of the invisible weapon. On Dp-Earth, an attack by R'lyehan Deep Ones on the town of Haven, Maine is repulsed by a loose platoon of Atlanean special forces (including Atleantean Deep Ones, Merfolk, and other Atleantean races), lead by King Namor, and Nathan 'Neptune' Perkins. June 10 Sensors narrow down the location and speed of the invisible weapon closely enough to get an approximate destination: the Yellowstone Caldera, in northwest Wyoming, USA (confirming the predictions of several seers). The unmanned Instrumentation & Service Module is ejected from the rest of the ACTS spacecraft, and sent on a collision course with the weapon at maximum burn, while the cosmonauts wait for rescue. The closer the ISM gets to the Nazi weapon, the better its sensors are able to narrow down the weapon's location - it is not at the center of the radar interference, but toward the rear, and off to one side. Several hours later, the ISM is destroyed by weapons mounted on the cloaked missile, but enough mass collides with the missile to disable the cloaking device. All available Lanterns and psychokinetics (including many from outside the Inp-USA) with sufficient power and range direct their energies to change the projectile's course, as do a combined team from UNIT-Canada and Starship Enterprises (who are forced to invoke the Concept of 'Tech of the Week' to get a repellor with enough power, and thus will not be able to duplicate it). Most of these Lanterns and other psychokinetics die, or are left comatose, leaving only those too weak to significantly effect the course of the object, which is now headed to a point near Seattle, Washington. Several beings identified as gods or greater spirits manifest to stop the projectile; the ones clearly 'known' to be deities by the majority of psykers and mystics observing them are Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty, a Superman who resembles a more muscular Christopher Reeve, circa 1978 (who smiles reassuringly at a telephoto camera), a Supergirl with the pre-Flashpoint midriff-baring costume, a red-haired woman with a firey, Phoenix-shaped aura, and a Thor with red hair and beard, and a historically accurate helmet & hammer, but otherwise wearing the Marvel Movieverse costume. These beings are able to slow down and stop the heavy, fast, and very hot device, setting it down in a vacant lot near the University of Seattle. They vanish before they can be interviewed, though Superman remains long enough to point out one device near the base of the assembly to a surprised policeman, informing him that it's a 'Seismic Amplifier'. Dieselpunk Japan declares war on Nazi Germany, citing as casus belli the attempt to detonate the Yellowstone Caldera on Earth One - 'a Crime against Humanity too severe for any civilized people to ignore'. Ceasefire with Allies declared, and Japanese forces begin withdrawing from those territories already taken from the Allies. Dp-Japan begins officially seeking a separate peace with the Allies. Pacific French colonies are informed by Japan that they should now begin taking orders from de Gaulle's Free French Forces, rather than the Vichy government. The speed at which many colonies run flags up with the Cross of Lorraine is greeted with great suspicion and anger in Vichy and Berlin. The People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (two of the nations which did not send psychokinetics to assist the US) are the only nations to demand an unconditional surrender from Dp-Japan. (Inp-Earth analysts determine that it is politically impossible for the Inp-Chinese government to accept less than an unconditional surrender from Dp-Japan, and it is politically impossible for Dp-Japan to grant one at this time.) Most of the other Allies offer fairly generous terms. June 11 Inp-Japan declares its 'full legal support' for the war on the Axis powers, now that Dp-Japan is no-longer part of that alliance. Another Soyuz ACTS capsule (with an Orbital Module designed to dock with the Moon lander's OM, rather than with a station) reaches the remaining modules of the Russian Moon lander, and rescues the crew. The lander modules, themselves are remote-docked to the ISS, to become new space station components. Future plans are to build an orbital museum, where the capsule will be an exhibit. The failed attack on June 10 does what the successful, but less overall threatening, attack on February 23rd failed to do: convince an adequate number of Republican Senators and Representatives in Inp-USA's Congress to restructure the tax system, placing the greatest tax burdens on those most able to pay them. June 12 On Inp-Earth, Britain's 'space penetrator' passes the 'ice test'. Few people who hear of it believe that the interplanetary bullet is intended purely for peaceful purposes. The fact that the test was at rather less than escape velocity is generally ignored. In Inp-USA, critically injured on his last mission, Lt. Col. James Austin (USAF Special Forces), a man barely alive, undergoes a six billion dollar surgical procedure, replacing both legs, his right arm, right ear, and right eye, and reinforcing his surviving skeleton (and other organs) to allow full use of his new enhancements. While perhaps not the world's first bionics man, he is the first whose enhanced (enchanted) bionics are so powerful. June 13 The American nuclear missile launched for Operation Wagner reaches final approach to Dp-Earth/Earth Two, and the MIRVs separate. Suborbital rockets from Dp-Japan, and more, less expensive rockets from Dp-Britain, begin bombarding Nazi anti-missile defenses. Peenemünde, which was already abandoned, and Ort Fünf are destroyed, while Basis Sechsundachtzig (an undersea submarine dock, for which Heligoland is a decoy) is damaged. One MIRV goes off-course, hitting western Dresden (a city that was not a target), and setting the remaining portions of the city on fire. Unarmed MIRVs, carrying computers with radio transceivers and expanded memory, soft-land at Army Air Base, Muroc Lake, Dp-USA, and RAF Box, Dp-UK. Among the post-June 10th legislation rushed through Inp-USA Congress without adequately looking at it is an order to refit and recommission the remaining Iowa-class battleships (the original Bill, as presented in committee, requested one such BB, but did not specify which one). Contrary to rumours, this is not an attempt to launch space battleships; instead, they are being used as test-beds for enhanced and otherwise new technology, such as coilgun systems (which work better if the projectile is already in motion) on the barrels of the main guns, laser CIWS, force shields and fusion reactors to provide power (only those last two are particularly magical, beyond a resistance to being disrupted by magic). June 14 On Stp-Earth, the Oberbürgermeister of Dresden begins making plans for the eventual evacuation of his city, should something like WWII occur on his Earth. Inp-China's missile reaches Dp-Earth. Inp-USA tries to remote-detonate it with codes stolen by CIA, but partially fails, as the MIRVs had separated by the time the codes got to a long-rage transmitter, and the CIA had not found the codes for all the MIRVs. A little over half of them detonate in orbit. Hiroshima is destroyed, while the weapon intended for Tokyo flies off-course, detonating several miles out at sea. Japanese super Tetsuwan Hikaru ('Mighty Light') dies saving Kyoto from the last vehicle; he will receive Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan's highest honour, for his sacrifice. Deep in the Pacific Ocean, something stirs, and begins to grow. Dp-Italy begins seeking a separate peace with the Allies. Tetsuwan Hikaru's daughter inherits his power, and takes up the name 'Tetsuwan Hikari' (also 'Mighty Light', but with different kanji), to honour him. In Inp-Germany, the Raumpatrouille (Space Patrol) takes delivery of its first squadrons of the Starfighter-upgraded Eurofighter Astrotyphoon and Panavia Star Tornado. In and near Greece, many sensitives and magic-users note a great deal of powerful psychic activity on Mount Olympos. Launching from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, the Handley Page Victor* has its first orbital flight, and returns safely after three orbits. June 15 In Inp-USA, an alchemic designer drug called 'Velocity 1', aka Superspeed, appears on the streets. The elixir doubles the thought, reflex, and movement speed of the user, at the cost of addiction, torn muscles & ligaments, other physical stress, and occasional stroke and/or heart failure. The first four SB-52Is begin medium-range spaceflight testing: pairs will visit the Moon, have one test the landing systems while the other monitors from orbit, take off, and return. The spaceplanes are designated 'Apollo Flight' (numbered Apollo 18, 19, 20, and 21) for this purpose. Critics who ask why unmanned testing is not being done are informed that the systems don't work nearly as well without a crew, as they do with. In the UK, the Queen's Birthday Honours List is announced, and includes several soldiers and one civilian who participated in the Battle of Nether Wallop (2013), honoured for heroic action against the Daleks, the first official admission by Her Majesty's Government as to what actually happened during the incident. Several honours, including that civilian, now and forever Sir Ralph Dewhirst, KBE, are posthumous. Several MIRVs from the Russian interplanetary missile (see March 10th) mysteriously separate from the main vehicle, and detonate at a range of more than one thousand kilometres from the missile. The only remaining MIRVs are computer/radio systems, like those from the American missile that arrived on June 13th. June 17 The Russian MIRVs soft-land outside Dp-Sydney, Australia, and Dp-Leeds, England. DP-UK and Australian governments begin marking out locations for factories to build variants of the AK-47, RPG-7, T-44 & T-55, Tu-95, Mi-4 & Mi-8, and Mig-15 & MiG-21 (the main differences are in the electronics of those items that use them, and the addition of boiling vessels (the Russians had heard that the British put them in all their larger-crewed vehicles, and decided to save the Dp-UK engineers some effort) to the designs of the tanks, bomber, and helicopters). Accounts are created for various Russian corporations at Dp-Barclays. Churchill reluctantly forms the Imperial Chiefs of Staff Committee, consisting of the Chiefs of Staff, or representatives thereof, of the United Kingdom, each Dominion, and the largest Indian states. On Inp-Luna, Apollo 18 lands, while Apollo 19 remains in orbit. USSF Major Katherine Elenore Wallis, commander of Apollo 18, is the first American woman to walk on the Moon. June 18 Apollo 18 deploys a memorial obelisk bearing the names of Virgil Ivan 'Gus' Grissom, Edward Higgins White, II, and Roger Bruce Chaffee. Astronomers at Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, calibrating their telescope by observing Fa-Central Africa, notice a giant, elephant-like creature, about 20 feet high, with proportionally thick legs, and bearing a howda on its back. An elf at the Arthurian embassy in London identifies it as a Mûmak (plural 'Mûmakil'). On Dp-Earth, the US ambassador to Canada delivers an Inp-Canadian computer from the MIRV care package to Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King. In Dp-USA, Colonel Philip Strange, known in the Great War as 'the Brain Devil' (der Gehirn Teufel) and 'the Phantom Ace of G-2', joins the newly formed (nearly a year in advance of that on Inp-Earth) Office of Strategic Services. His young son, Stephen, sets his sights on medical school. Their cousin Hugo, a professor who lives up to the family name in unpleasant ways, escapes from the Arkham Asylum Annex for the Criminally Insane, outside Gotham City, New Jersey. June 19 In Hyogo Prefecture in Inp-Japan, several female high school students are harassed by an apparent ghost, though whether an actual spirit or mass panic is uncertain. The male students were unaffected, though a few claimed to have seen the ghost. WikiLeaks announces that the CIA is actively recruiting telepaths, which surprises almost no-one. The fact that they're even poaching them from Homeland Security, who are poaching them from the FBI, does surprise some people, though. Apollo 18 takes off from the Moon, and it and Apollo 19, begin their return to Earth. In the UK, a second Victor* has its first orbital flight. In the Stp-Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the Imperial Charter of Rights, Privileges, and Duties ('Reichscharta der Rechte, Privilegien und Pflichten') is published. This charter is not legally a new constitution, which would be politically dangerous (as the current constitution was written by the winners of the Franco-Prussian War), but rather a 'clarification and expansion of existing laws and traditions'. It is divided into four sections, covering (I) the Emperor, Imperial Diet, and Imperial government, (II) the member states (including the Free and Imperial Cities), (III) the cities and other subdivisions within the member states, and (IV) private families and individual citizens. One of the more controversial portions of Section II expands the number of Electoral Houses - and thus, candidates for the position of Holy Roman Emperor - from fifteen to more than ninety, but does not include the House of Hohenzollern, who who lost the position of Margrave of Brandenburg in the Treaty that ended the Franco-Prussian War (though they remain the autocratic Royal Family of Prussia). June 20 A research laboratory in Inp-Japan develops a method of manufacturing (an alchemic imitation of) Sakuradite, though only in fairly small amounts. Mass production is predicted to be very difficult, and require a great deal of lead-time and manpower. The radiation it produces is a mix of beta particles and visible light, with no trace of neutrons, alpha particles, or gamma rays (which makes it useful as a power source, but not so much as a central component of atomic bombs). Apollo 18 and 19 land at Johnson Space Center. On Stp-Earth, the Kingdom of Prussia officially leaves the Holy Roman Empire. In orbit of Stp-Earth, the Russian heavy astronef Pyotr Velikiy leaves space station High Kiev, on a course for Dp-Earth, scheduled to arrive on September 23rd. June 21 The 'Olympos Accords' are promulgated on all five Earths; these Accords are an agreement by gods and greater spirits, listing things they will act to prevent humans from doing in inter-Earth wars (primarily focused on limiting weapons of mass destruction, and weapons that cause long-term environmental damage - including geological and meteorological weapons), and what punishments will be given for those who keep trying to do these things, ranging from fairly minor (perpetrators become humously, but not fatally, allergic to favorite vices or foods), to the quite deadly (perpetrators are struck by lightning, spontaneously combust, or otherwise die), depending on the seriousness of violations, and how often they are attempted. Under the Accords, 'perpetrators' include anyone in the chain of command who knows what's going on, has the authority to say 'no' without significant chances of being imprisoned, tortured, and/or killed, and goes ahead with it, anyway. In Dp-Germany Adolf Hitler dies of what is reported as 'apoplexy', but may have been an assassination. Martin Bormann becomes Führer. June 23 On Dp-Earth, the men the comics will call 'Oliver Queen' and 'Roy Harper' become Green Arrow and Speedy, respectively, having been named by the thugs they fought in their first adventure together. Speedy is about sixteen. In Dp-Canada, Avro Canada is formed, and work begins on a factory for the construction of the Avro Arrow. On Inp-Earth, WikiLeaks announces that at least one of the OV-100As has been undergoing flight tests. Austrian Navy formed as a space military force, and an official successor organization to the defunct-on-Infopunk-Earth Austro-Hungarian Navy, using modified WWI-era ranks and dress uniforms (the field uniforms are either fatigues or vacuum suits, depending on location), though with modern enlisted/NCO insignia. Despite wild rumours on the subject (and the efforts of a few enthusiasts), no serious attempt is being made to reconstitute the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on Inp-Earth. June 25 A discussion between science fiction fans on Dp-Earth and Inp-Earth leads to Inp-Earth learning of 'The Fireman', a science fiction novel written by Dp-Earth's H. G. Wells in 1910, that paints a disturbingly accurate picture of the life of a specific firefighter living in 2010 Inp-London (it's obscure, because it was so unbelievable, rather like Jules Verne's novel Paris in the Twentieth Century - which had some surprisingly good technological predictions, even if it was way off on the culture, among other things). Searches begin for more portrayals of Inp-Earth in Dp-Earth's and Stp-Earth's novels. In Dp-Germany, Martin Bormann dies in a somewhat suspicious car accident, and Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler becomes Führer. Reinhard Heydrich is promoted to Reichsführer-SS. Arthur Nebe takes his place as President of Interpol. June 27 The Scandinavian Federation astronef Gustavus Adolphus (see March 25, above) arrives at Dp-Earth. After two orbits, it enters the atmosphere, landing in Canada. Also on Dp-Earth, the Thule Society begins a ritual that will take months to complete, becoming active on October 31st, on Inp-Earth; the fact that the casters are on one worldline, and the effects will be on another, greatly reduces the ability of anyone who might object to predict and interfere with the curse. On Inp-Earth, Apollo 20 and 21 take off for the Moon. Overall mission commander is James Lovell, on Apollo 20 along with Fred Haise and Ken Mattingly, though most of the work will be done by younger astronauts. June 29 Apollo 20 lands on the Moon. The crew deploy a memorial to astronaut John L. "Jack" Swigert, who died in 1982. Two Asian dragons, ambassadors from the Emperor of Fa-China, arrive on Inp-Earth and Dp-Earth, searching for the Emperors of China on those Earths. The dragon sent to Dp-Earth determines that the Emperor of Japan is, in effect, the Emperor of China on Dp-Earth (he is fine with this, as he is expecting cultural assimilation to occur over the next few generations, and it's far from the first time a conqueror has done terrible things to China - at least this one is stopping). However, there is no Emperor of China on Inp-Earth, and that dragon is not fine with it, as he can't be an ambassador to someone who does not exist, and has no intention of going home a failure. Category:Timelines Category:Fanwork